Avalanches take two lives over weekend

On the heels of two separate avalanche fatalities over the weekend, Bruce Tremper of the Utah Avalanche Forecast center issued the following warning on Monday: "The danger remains HIGH in most areas of the Wasatch Range at all aspects and elevations. Backcountry travel is not recommended. This includes people leaving ski area exit gates and people recreating in low-elevation terrain where you normally don’t expect avalanches."

Saturday, a 21-year-old woman died while snowshoeing after being carried downhill and submerged in a creek in Tibble Fork near Provo Canyon. Sunday a snowmobiler was killed by an avalanche near Huntington Reservoir in Sanpete County.

According to Tremper, the warning applies to all elevations and aspects northern and central Utah mountains where the weekend’s heavy wet snowstorm landed on a "very weak existing snowpack."

The warning however does not apply within established ski area boundaries where avalanche control work is done.

"We need your help to spread about the HIGH avalanche danger to friends, family, social media – you name it. We don’t need any more tragic fatalities," Tremper added.